Blast furnace charging apparatus



Feb. 23, 1932. D. P. ANDERSON.

JR.; ET AL 1,846,826

BLlST FURNAGE CHARGING APPARATUS Filed N ov. 18, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheeilwezo 4M @aV/0 RNDEESON Jr 54,61 C /V/LEE lllll.

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Feb. 23, 1932. D. PQANDERSON, JR., ETAL L6826 BLAST. FURNACE CHARGGvAPPARATUS Filed Nov. 18, 19,50 2 sheets-she'ei 2 .Patented Feb. 23,'A1932 UNITED sT-ATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID P. ANDERSON, JB., 0F PITTSBURGH, AND C. MILLER, 0F IICKEESIORT,

- PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO HARRY W. SCHUE'IZ, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYL-'VANIA BLAs'r FURNACE GHARGING 4Arraiiazrus Application mea November 1s,193.0, serial No. 495,535.

This invention relates to improvements in blast furnace charging vanddistributing mechanism and it is among the objects theref of to providecharging and distributing equipmentv for blast furnaces which shallproduce a more gas-tight furnace top and which shall greatly improve thedistributing of stock in the furnace. v

Blast furnace bells now in use range from twelve to fifteen feet indiameter and weigh from twelve to twenty-twotons, requiring expensiveand powerful machinery to manipulate them. in their stock chargingmovements. Furthermore, the large bells are subject to warping and donot seat very a'c- 'curately with the result that gas escapes Inaccordance w1th the present I 'n fo the .mig r from the top of theblast' furnace. Then too,

'occasionally more stock accumulates on `one side of the bell than onthe other which causes the large bell to tilt when lowered, producingnon-uniform distribution of thematerial and improper seating whenclosed.

' invention, a distributor is utilized in conjunction with the bellwhich permits reducing the size of the bell to substantially one-half ofthat now in use, thereby eliminating to a great extent the difficultiesreferred to and, in addition, the arrangement of the distributor andbell is such that it produces substantially uniform distribution of thestock, which is an improvement in blast furnace operation.

These and other lobjects of the invention will become more apparent froma consideration of the accompanying drawings in which like referencecharacters designate like parts and in which Figure 1 is a verticalsectional elevational view of an improved furnace top embodying theprinciples ofi this invention;

IIL-II, Figure 1; and Figures Sand 4 are top plan and side views,respectively, of a deiector plate ,and the manner of its mountpurposetobe hereinafter explained. Y In the drawings, 1 designates the top ofthe blastfurna'ce structure on which is supported the frame workgenerally designated at 2, which carries a receiving hopper3and acharging hopper 4, the` bottom portionslof and when the receivinghopper' is fully charged, the bell 8 is lowered to charge the hopper 4while maintaining the lowered bell 9 in its closed position. f

The top of the blast furnace is provided with the usual gasoutlet 12 andthe valves are operated through well known mechalnism generallydesignated at 13.

vBelow the charging hoppe 4: and in ver; .1v

tically spaced relation therewith is a distributor 15 of conical shape,the outer face 16 of which forms in elfect a-n extension of the base ofthe bell 9 for the purpose of distributing the stock to the extremeouter portion of the furnace chamber in the same manner as the stockwould bev distributed were the distributor a portion of the bell.Distributor 15 is in vertically spaced relation with and secured to'asupporting ring` 17 by a plurality of supporting brackets 18,' therebemg four such brackets as shown in Figure 2 of the drawigs.- Above thesupporting ring 17 is an annular-@cover 19 provided with inspectiondoors 20 which doors are in alinement ,with the brackets 18 of the'distributor.

A plurality of delector plates 21 are fastened to the brackets 18 asshown in Figures 3 and 4 .of the drawings,the 'deflector v i. platesbeing provided4 with hooks 22 at one;

end which engage a cast lug 23 on the supporting brackets18 and theother end of the. deliector plates are provided with u turned portions2li-adapted to fit between `eys 26 fmounted in slots 25 in the supportinring 17.. The keys- 265 prevent lateral 'an vertical displacement of theplates 21 and are doors 20 and replaced by deflector plates of ldifferentwidths, either greater or less width depending upon the amountof stock desired to be diverted by the plates toward the cen- 'ter ofthe blast furnace.

In the operation of the blast furnace em bodying the aforementionedimprovements,

. by the receiving v(El) of'the distributor 15 which functions as an lthe stock to the center of the the receiving hopper 3 is charged withstock by the skip cars andthe upper bell is lowered through itsoperating mechanism 13 to empty the charge into the charging -hopper 4which has its bell 9 in closed position. Thevbell 8 of the receivinghopper 3 is then closed and the bell 9 opened `to permit the charge todrop on the distributor and a portion of it to be diverted by thedeflector plates 21 whereby stock is distributed toward the outer andcentral portions `of the furnace to produce a substantially uniformstock level.

The bell 9 of the charging hopper isthen closed, and the' hopperfl isagain charged hopper lin the manner explained, and by alternatelyoperating the bells 8 and 9, having one closed while the other isopened, gas cannot escape trough the hoppers but passes out through thegas outlet 12. .Y

It will be noted t at on account of the relatively small diameter of thebell, there will be very little interference with the gas flow so thatthe gas will pass out of thefurnace at substantially uniformfvelocitywhich reduces the passage of dirt from the furnace chamber.

If, durin the charging of` a furnace, it is desired toc ange the degreeof distribution of the stock toward the center of the furnace chamber,the deflector plates 2-1 may be replaced by other deilector-plates bysimply shutting off the blast for a short period and removing theplatesthrough the windows in thefmanner explained. By providing for theinterchangeable deflector plates, any degree of stock distribution, thatis, any desired manner of distributing the stock along the cross sectionof the furnace chamber,

can be `produced without interfering with the operation of the furnacetoany' great extent.

It is evident from the foregoingides cription of the invention that theconstructions of the distributor and the bell of the charging hopperpermit'the use of a movable bell of relatively small diameter whichpossesses the distributingeffect of a larger bell by use extension ofthe sloping in addition provides for side of the bell and diversion ofpart of furnace.

Although one embodiment of the inven tion has been herein illustratedand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges in the details of construction may be made without departingfrom the principles herein set forth.

. llfe claim:

1. A blast furnace having in combination a charging hopper, a relativelysmall bell closing upward against the lower end of said hopper and adistributor suspended in fixed position below said bell and having aconical face constituting an annular enlargement of the face of the bellwhen the latter is lowered so as to continue the effect of the loweredbell in -spreading the charge, said distributor also having surfacesinclined towards the center of the furnace.

2. A blast furnace having in combination a charging hopper, 'a bellclosing upwar against said hopper, pended in xed position andin spacedrelation below said bell and having a conical face constituting anannular enlargemet of the face of the bell when the latter is lowered,and deflector plates interposed in the path of the charge from the bellto said` ring to di- Vert portions of the stream of the charge towardsthe center of the furnace.

3..A blast furnace having in combination a charging hopper, a bellclosing upward against said hopper, a distributing ring susl pende'd inxed position and in spaced relation below saidbell and having a conicalface constituting an -annular enlargemet of the face of the bell whenthe latter is lowered, and deflector plates disposed in angularly spacedrelation and in the path of the charge from the bell to said ring todivert jportions of the stream of the charge toward the center of thefurnacesaid deflector plates being detachably secured to the charginghopper support.

4. A blast furnace havingin combination a receiving hopper, a charginghopper, small bells closing upwardly against the lower ends of saidhoppers, an annular support atl the tgp of the furnace and outlet ofsaid charging hopper and a distributor suspended from said support, saiddistributor being in the form truncated cone to distrilute the of ahollow stock outward and means for diverti g some of the stock into thetopopeningof said cone.

5. A blast furnace havingin combination a charginghopper, asmall bellclosing upwardagainst the lower end of said hopper, and an -annularsupport disposed around said hopper, a distributor in the form of ahollow truncated cone .supported from said .support having a slopingsurface in substantial alined la distributing ring susment with theouter surface of said bell when the latter is inits lowered position andde-l 'ectors disposed in angularly spaced relation between the bell anddistributor and y fixed position below said bell and having a conicalface constituting an vannular enlargement of the face of the bell whenthe latter is lowered so as to continue the effect of the lowered bellin spreading the charge, said distributor also having surfaces inclinedtowardsthe center of the furnace, and means for diverting a portion ofthe 'charge to said last surfaces. v

7. A blast furnace having in combination a charging hopper,a relativelysmall bell closing upward against the lower end of said hopper and adistributor suspended 1n lixed position below said belland having aconical face constituting an annular enlarge-V is lowered so as to.continue t-he effect of the lowered bell in spreading the charge, and

means for deliecting` a part of said charge towards the center of thefurnace.

8. A blast furnacehaving in combination a charging hopper, .a relativelysmall bell closing upward against the lower end `of said hopper 'and adistributor suspended in fixed position below said bell and having aconical v face constituting an annular enlargement of the faceof thebellwhen the latter is lowered so as to continue the `effect of thelowered bell in spreading the charge, and means for de iecting a part ofsaid charge towards the center of the furnace, said deiecting meansbeing removable, so 'as to utilize in a particular case predetermineddeflecting means.

9. A blast furnace having in combination a charging hopper, a relativelysmall bell closing upward against the lower end of said hopper and adistributor suspended in xed` position below said bell and having aconicalv face constituting an annular enlargement of removably fastenedto said brackets wherel a portion of said charge is diverted towar 'thecenter of the furnace.

11. A blast furnace having in combination a charging hopper, arelatively small .bell

per, said cover p ate having doorsopposite said brackets, and deiectinmeans removably fastened to said brac ets, whereby a portion of saidcharge is diverted towards the center of the furnace, via inclined sur"faces therefor on said distributor.

1 2. A blast furnace having in combination a charging hopper, arelatively small bell closing vupward against the lowerend of said mentof the face of the bell when the latter h opper a supporting ringcarried by thetop of said furnace, spaced brackets depending from saidsupporting ring and extending below. said bell, a distributor fixed tothe lower ends of said brackets, a cover plate extending of materialdesired to be dlverted.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

' DAVID P. ANDERSON, JR.

`EARL C. MILLER.

the face of thel bell when the latter is lowered so as to continue thee'ect of the lowered bell in spreading the charge, said distributor alsohaving surfaces inclined towards the 'center of the furnace, and aseries of means of different sizes for deflecti'ng a predetermined partof said 'charge towards the center of the'furnace, each one of saidseries being replaceable c by the others of said series.

' 10. A blast furnace having in combination a charging hopper, arelatively small bell closing upward against the lower end of below saidbell, a distributor xed to the lower ends of said brackets,7 a coverplate extending between said supporting ring and said hopper, said coverplate having doors opposite said brackets, and deflecting means 'loy

